EV pickups have made waves in recent years thanks to their combination of functionality, styling, and electrification with their large platforms being perfect rolling test beds for EV technology. However, while they look stylish cruising down your local road and can haul a good amount of payload in their beds, towing has never been a strong suit for them and when you combine that with the task of lugging heavy payloads, EVs see their range and battery power drain away with every single EV truck on the market being beaten in towing and payload by gas-powered trucks.
This has caused automakers to modify their plans for EV pickups and that includes Stellantis with a canceled EV version of the Ram 2500 HD being the genesis of a legal battle between two suppliers which also shines a spotlight on the inner workings of the automotive process and how suppliers play a large role in making all of this work smoothly.
Legal squabble does not directly involve Ram
A recently filed lawsuit between suppliers American Axle & Manufacturing and Valeo appears to confirm that Ram and Stellantis had plans for a heavy-duty EV pickup with the beefier truck being sold under the same REV moniker that’s currently assigned to the delayed REV 1500 pickup. The truck was even supposed to go into production in 2027 before Stellantis pulled the plug.
The cancellation may have been the end for the proposed model but it also started a conflict between Valeo and AAM with Valeo claiming that it spent $25 million on developing EV motors and inverters that would be used in “e-beams” that would have been produced by American Axle. This agreement was based on a prior contract signed by American Axle and Stellantis in 2023 for an unnamed future vehicle with a provision allegedly including the firm’s 3-in-1 e-drive technology. This tech supposedly combines the motor, inverter, and gearbox into a compact powerful setup with AAM saying it’s “the smallest, most powerful system in the industry.”
AAM says that there was never an enforceable contract in play between the two firms when it came to this particular project but it remains to be seen who will win this round of litigation when it makes its way through the legal system and how long it would take for everything to be resolved.
EV HD trucks still face hurdles
While Valeo and AAM continue to fight it out in court, it’s no secret that it will be a long time before purely electric HD trucks make their way to the marketplace. While such a model would be a potent bragging point for an automaker, the ability to say they would be an innovator in this demanding segment comes with a high price tag since engineers would have to design and develop an EV powertrain that’s not only capable of hitting range targets but can also endure the high-stress loads that HD trucks are expected to haul and tow without a significant impact to range and battery capacity.
In addition, the technology and battery innovations needed to make this a reality do not exist with automakers like the Detroit Big Three choosing to focus on light-duty pickups instead. These trucks are not expected to take on extreme loads like an HD model would, and as a result, these companies can put in EV powertrains that require less cost and time to develop with these powertrains also delivering the high driving range that customers want. That said, while we think HD pickups will continue to be offered with ICE engines (diesel or otherwise) exclusively for the immediate future, changing fuel economy regulations might see some trucks adopt a hybrid powertrain to help get extra fuel economy while still being able to haul and tow large loads.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.